RF c06s01
Text Ardent Desire slowly opened his eyes, then he groaned quietly as he sat up... and shivered. He trembled as he looked back and forth, and any hope that what he so clearly, horribly remembered had been a nightmare quickly faded away with both the biting cold and the fact that all around him, all he could see was ice, and snow, and looming black fangs of stone. "You're awake." said a soft voice, and Ardent Desire yelled and scurried backwards in shock, looking up... before his mouth fell open and his eyes widened in disbelief. A beautiful Pegasus mare was approaching him, seeming almost to glow with how immaculate she was. She had wings as white as snow but a coat of gorgeous gold, while her mane and tail both shimmered and swayed like pure ivory energy. Just from looking at her, he felt soothed, he felt all his pain wash away, he felt... such incredible longing and desire and servitude... But slowly, his eyes dared to rove up from her gorgeous body to her eyes, and his enthrallment with her stuttered as he saw they were a glowing, pale yellow, with thick slits for pupils. She smiled at him, and Ardent Desire swallowed thickly as he looked back and forth, whispering: "You're not an angel... and this... this is..." "Welcome to Helheim. You're fortunate, though... Lord Cupidus has told me to take care of you. To accelerate your evolution into a demon." said the mare, and Ardent Desire trembled a bit as he looked back and forth before the creature continued softly: "If it's all the same to you, I would appreciate it if we could move forwards, and you spare me the crying, the screaming, the denials, and attempts to bargain your way out of Helheim. That is far beyond my power, and you have doubtlessly earned your place here yourself. We have to get on the carriage." Ardent Desire shivered a little, and then he looked up and whispered: "Why... why didn't Cupidus save me, though? I... why did Radiant Beacon... no, no, no, these... these can't be real memories, this can't be real, I-" The angelic Pegasus smiled before her eyes flashed, and then Ardent Desire screamed and grabbed at his features as a blast of psychic agony ripped through his mind, before the mare said gently: "Follow me quietly, and don't open your mouth until we reach the carriage, and the pain will end." Ardent Desire writhed in the snow, howling and convulsing as it felt like eager blades twisted viciously through his mind, and then he finally managed to half-fling himself forwards. The pain ended, and he breathed rapidly in and out before looking weakly up and staring at the sight of the mare striding calmly away. Not knowing what else to do, he forced himself to his hooves, trembling violently as he hurried after her and looked back and forth. Tears froze on his cheeks almost instantly, but his body felt numb: he knew it was cold, but apparently he couldn't process just how cold it actually was. He began to open his mouth... and the demon in front of him simply glanced over her shoulder, and Ardent Desire fell to the ground, screaming and grabbing at his skull again, as her soft voice echoed in both his ears and mind: "The first lesson all damned souls learn is obedience. We teach this through pain and fear." Ardent howled in misery, blood beginning to run from his eyes and ears as his mind writhed and twisted like a rabid animal inside his skull. It felt like hours before the pain finally ended, and he dropped flat to the ground on his stomach, a weak sob hitching out of his throat before he looked pleadingly, brokenly up, and the demon simply smiled at him before she said gently: "Don't speak, and follow me." The stallion nodded weakly, rasping for air before he forced himself to his hooves, looking brokenly towards the sky... and above, he saw a ceiling of darkness and stone, a solid roof that stretched to the horizon. He whimpered weakly, then forced himself onwards, shivering as they strode through the wasteland and he pleaded silently to Cupidus for help. After a few minutes, they came to the edge of a cliff, and Ardent Desire stared as they stepped up onto a strange, natural stone platform. Sitting in midair, hooked by what looked like metal claws to a rusting, suspended railing, was a massive black carriage of some kind. It was empty and lonely, and in this world that was otherwise without landmarks, it was as ominous and striking as a curse totem to the unicorn, before the demon instructed gently: "Get inside, and then we may speak." Ardent Desire looked at the demon for a moment, and when she rose her head just slightly, he rushed forwards through the open, gaping doors into the metallic car. The demon smiled at this, then followed him inside, and the doors screamed shut behind her as the carriage rumbled. There was only silence between them, as Ardent looked slowly back and forth: shattered windows and emptiness and rusty walls greeted him in return, before he looked up... and winced a little as electricity sparked over the railing above, visible through a gaping hole in the ceiling. The lightning seemed to snatch at him, sparked and danced over the rooftop like it was alive before the carriage rumbled, and then slowly began to move forwards, propelled by a magic that Ardent Desire didn't understand... and right now, couldn't even bring himself to care about, as he asked desperately: "What's going on?" "You are here in Helheim to serve Lord Cupidus, as your contract stated. You will serve him until he is satisfied that you have paid him back for the services he has rendered you." the demon answered gently, and then she smiled again. "You should feel fortunate that he has taken enough of an interest in you to accelerate your transformation into one of us." "I'm... I'm going to become a demon?" Ardent Desire felt a strange tremor run through him: he still believed in his mother's stories, he knew that becoming a demon would make him strong... and yet somehow... "Why... I mean, is it..." "You will serve Cupidus much more effectively as a demon than as a mortal prisoner of Helheim, as you are now. Do not fear, there will be many advantages to being a demon, whatever you may become..." The angelic mare gave him an appraising look, then added: "I am to guardian and train you, and I will be in charge of ensuring both your survival, and that your evolution goes as smoothly as possible, Ardent Desire. We will enjoy many things together." "Enjoy... things? Like... what, sex? How do I become a demon?" Ardent Desire gave a half-hysterical laugh, shivering once as he stared at her disbelievingly. The demon smiled softly, her animal eyes studying him as she answered in a gentle voice: "You have fallen to Helheim for your lusts, your cowardice, and your weakness, more than crimes against others... but do not fear. We have an account of the many ways you've hurt others in blind pursuit of pleasure as well, and we shall ensure you suffer your just rewards for those actions, too. But... we will also amplify your nature, and we will share not only pain with you, but pleasure. Many pleasures. I'm sure we will enjoy our time together." Ardent Desire shivered a little, opening his mouth before he winced and looked up as darkness surrounded them, as they passed into a tunnel. He gazed towards the ceiling as lightning sparked along the rail, casting flashes of light through the hole in the roof into the carriage, and then he turned his eyes back to the demon, opening his mouth... except what he had meant to say died in his throat. In each and every flash of light that illuminated her, he saw not a beautiful angel, but a hideous, decaying monstrosity, covered in peeling, burnt skin that revealed rotting purple flesh beneath. Cruel, yellowed teeth were bare in greenish gums, left naked by the lack of skin over her stretched and distorted face, and her mane and tail had vanished completely as skeletal, leathery wings twitched at her sides. Only her eyes remained the same: abysmal, awful, animal, and studying him with cold fascination. Then they were out of the tunnel, and the carriage was filled with the pale light that shone down from an unseen source around them, and Ardent Desire staggered hurriedly to the other side of the car as he stared at her with terror. Yet once more, she looked beautiful and radiant and gorgeous... but the thought of what was beneath this illusion made his stomach turn, scarred his mind, even as she said softly: "Lord Cupidus has many plans for you, Ardent Desire... but I want you to know that I have nothing personal against you. You and I are very similar... both flies, caught in the spider's web. What other choice do we have but to play our roles?" "Please... please, can't... isn't there any way out? What did I do... why... why is he doing this to me... I thought that... I believed in him..." Ardent Desire whispered, trembling violently, and then he stared weakly as the demon slowly strode forwards and leaned down over him. Up close, he could smell her: beauty cloaked her true form, but it couldn't hide the putrid reek of rot and infection. She smiled at him even as he retched, then flinched and bit back a scream when her hoof touched his face almost tenderly, pushing himself back against the wall, eyes rolling in his head as she whispered: "You're still mortal, and naïve. But soon... everything will become unimportant, Ardent Desire. When you start to become like us, after we mold you into a new shape... by forcing you to experience punishment, and to suffer, and we drown you in your own sins. Then all of this... will cease to be so important. You'll understand what you must do to survive, and even begin to take pleasure in the game of finding other victims to take your place on the torture racks. It's not so bad, mortal. It's the closest thing we have to redemption." "No! I won't become like you... I won't! I believe in what my mother told me!" Ardent Desire shouted desperately, but the demon only smiled down at him, unfettered, her hoof still against his features. "Believe in your fairy tales, but all of us are destined to become incarnations of the disease and weakness that brought us down to Helheim in the first place. Why fight our primal nature? Let it consume you. But struggle if you want... I'll still do my job either way, and make sure you become a demon. If anything, fighting it so hard, torturing yourself so much, will further accelerate the process." The mare paused, then she stood back and said kindly: "I haven't given you my name. You may refer to me as Mistress Jaundice." Ardent Desire looked up at her silently, and Jaundice smiled down at him lovingly, reaching out to touch his face again... and then he whimpered as they passed into another tunnel, and again the flashes of light from the electricity sparking over the railing above revealed her true form, the stallion rasping for breath as she said softly: "Yes. You and I... are going to be very happy together." Top ↑ Category:Transcript Category:Story